MEISSEN RURAL DISTRICT
FEEL AT HOME IN THE “CRADLE OF SAXONY”

Winemaking is not the only tradition here that goes back centuries. An episcopal see since the year 968, surmounted by the late Gothic Albrechtsburg Castle, Meissen is known as the historical “Cradle of Saxony”. Margrave Frederick I, the Belligerent, a member of the House of Wettin, became the first Elector of Saxony in 1423. 

In 1708, following the orders of Frederick Augustus I, Johann Friedrich Böttger did not manage to produce gold at Albrechtsburg Castle, but he did create porcelain – making Augustus the Strong the most influential ruler of his times. To this day, art lovers from all over the world come to shop for porcelain at the Meissen State Porcelain Manufactory and admire the baroque castle in Moritzburg and the surrounding bucolic landscape. 
For some years now, film buffs have made a winter pilgrimage to the exhibition on the cult fairytale film “Three Wishes for Cinderella”.

What is life like in Meissen?

The cultural offerings in the Meissen rural district are just as varied as its geography. The Sachsen-Arena in Riesa is the largest events hall in Central Saxony and is well known for hosting numerous hit concerts.

Stage productions, symphony concerts and jazz evenings regularly take place in the historical cultural centre at Grossenhain Castle, and the ballroom at the “Börse” inn in Coswig has attracted dance enthusiasts to the district for over a century. Meissen’s theatre, in what was once a clothiers’ hall, has delighted culture buffs for more than 160 years, while the Landesbühnen Sachsen theatre, based in Radebeul, tours the district’s towns and municipalities performing music theatre, plays and concerts.

What is it like to learn and work in Meissen?

Education will play a crucial role in the future development of the Meissen rural district. Happily, there are plenty of training opportunities for young people here, helping them make the transition to the region’s most important sectors when they leave school. Various apprenticeship and training fairs reach out directly to future trainees. Alongside the many lower and upper secondary schools (ISCED 2 and 3), Meissen’s traditional St. Afra grammar school for gifted children has enjoyed a good reputation throughout Germany for decades.

The Meissen rural district has a broad-ranging industry structure. Its core sectors are the steel industry, ceramics and chemicals, the printing industry, logistics, mechanical and electrical engineering, and electronics, and they all have one thing in common: there is a great demand for personnel in almost every field. The Meissen skilled labour alliance governs the general direction of the district’s efforts to find and retain a skilled workforce. 

The region’s economic focus is on the manufacturing sector, followed by automotive trading, maintenance and repairs. Many people in the Meissen area are also employed in the field of healthcare and the social services. In recent years, employment figures have risen constantly, with small and medium-sized companies acting as the district’s main economic drivers.